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This
is not a man-made structure, but it is certainly ancient and I have
added it to the site on the basis that it definitely falls into the
oddities category. A hint that it may have held significance to the
local prehistoric population comes from the finds of flint flakes, cores
and scrapers from nearby and also from the speculations of Harold Dudley,
former curator of Scunthorpe Museum. Dudley wrote 'Standing within a
short distance of a notable prehistoric settlement, this isolated rock
may well have been the object of heathen veneration and the scene of
early worship' (The history and antiquities of the Scunthorpe and
Frodingham district 1931). Dragonby is a small village to the North of Scunthorpe just off the A1077 to Winterton. About half way down the only road through the village there is a gap in the houses on the right hand side - a track leads out onto some open ground and you will see the dragon on your right winding its way up the hill. It is in fact a natural rock formation caused by a limestone spring but local legend says it is the body of a dragon that was turned to stone by a wizard. Another story claims that it is the top of a church that sank into the earth with the congregation still inside and that once a year the ghostly bells can still be heard ringing. The village name Dragonby is only fairly recent, it was changed by local land owners, the Elwes family, from the original name of Conesby Cliff in honour of the dragon. |
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